This invention relates generally to electrostatographic printers and copiers, and more particularly concerns a retracting cleaner with pivoting and/or sliding seals.
The multi-pass image on image color xerographic process includes four toner colors, cyano magenta, yellow and black. These four colors are developed onto the photoreceptor belt through four cycles of the photoreceptor. During this time toner layers are built up to create a full color image which is then transferred to a sheet of paper. As the color layers are being developed all subsystems which could disturb the image must be retracted from photoreceptor contact. These subsystems include the dual electrostatic brush cleaner and the spots blade. Due to motion quality concerns effecting color registration, the photoreceptor backers for the cleaner brushes cannot be retracted to withdraw the photoreceptor belt from the cleaner. Instead, the cleaner must be withdrawn from the photoreceptor. Additionally the retraction and engagement must be accomplished in the short time between documents. And, because the size of the interdocument region is small relative to the spacing between the two brushes, the brushes must be retracted and engaged independently. A cleaner with many independently moving parts can be very difficult to seal.
The following disclosures may be relevant to various aspects of the present invention and may be briefly summarized as follows:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,260,754 to Yano et al. discloses a cleaning device incorporated in an image forming apparatus for removing a toner remaining on a photoconductive drum by a fur brush and collecting the removed toner by a collecting roller. The cleaning device selectively moves the fur brush into and out of contact with both of the photoconductive drum and collecting roller.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,669,864 to Shoji et al. discloses an image forming apparatus having a cleaning device arranged on the outer periphery of an image retainer, and bringing into and out of abutment against the image retainer, wherein the cleaning device comprises a first cleaning member and a second cleaning member arranged downstream of the first cleaning member in the moving direction of the surface of the image retainer. A cleaning operation of the second cleaning member against the image retainer is conducted according to a time at which the cleaning operation of the first cleaning member against the image retainer is conducted.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,230,406 to Klett discloses an apparatus which cleans particles from a photoconductive member arranged to advance along a predetermined path. When the photoconductive member is stationary, the particle cleaner and photoconductive member are spaced from one another. The photoconductive member is deflected into engagement with the particle cleaner in response to the photoconductive member advancing along the pre-determined path. In this manner, the particle cleaner removes residual particles from the photoconductive member during the movement thereof along the pre-determined path.